Improvement in baggage-seals



E. J. BROOKS. Baggage-Seal.

No. 208,953. Patented Oct. 15, |878.

ne. 2 F/G'. 5.

N. PETERS, PHQTo-LITHuGRAPNER, WASHINGTONv D C UNITED STATES EDWARD J.BROOKS,

PATENT OFFICE.

VOF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BAGGAGE-SEALS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,953, dated October15, 1873; application lilcd September 4, 1878.

` venting or detecting thc opening of packages snrreptitiously by theemployment of what.

are known as cording-seals,7 the shackles of which consist of properlengths of cord or twine, the saine being preferred and exclusivelyemployed on account of its adaptation to be readily cut by means of anordinary knife, and for other reasons.

My present invention consists, first, in an improved cording-sealshackle of cord or twine,

having alternatinghard and soft places or enlargements and thin places,formed by successive interlocked loops in aknitting or enchainingprocess, by which the-said shackle or one or more of its strands ismanufactured. The knitted strand or shackle is adapted to be cheaplyproduced, either continuously or in shackle lengths, by automaticmachinery of simple construction. The hard places or enlargements formedby loops, as aforesaid, present superior holdin g-surfaccs, said loopsadmitting the lookin g devices or the material of the seal-disk betweensaid hard places or e11- largements. Each enlarged part presents anequally effi cient holdin g-surface, whatever portion of the same iswithin the seal-disk, and any preferred style of seal-disk may be usedtherewith, while the exposed portions of the said shackle facilitateascertaining whether any given seal is genuine and untampered with. Toincrease the latter effect, and more particularly to preventcounterfeiting, my said invention consists, secondly, in forming asuperior shackle by combining two or more strands of contrasting fibers,differing in color or material, or both, one of the said strands beingof knitted cord or twine, having hard places or enlargements, asaforesaid, for securing the same within the seal-disk, as hereinaftermore fully set forth.-

Figure 1 ofthe accompanying drawing is an elevation of a pressedcording-seal having` a shackle, which illustrates this invention. Fig. 2is a transverse section of the same in the plane indicated by the line 22, Fig. l. Figs. 3, 4., 5, and 6 are sectional edge Views of the sameseal-disk and three others, impressed, illustrating modifications of thesame style of disk. Figs. 7, 9, 1l are face views, and Figs. 8,10, andl2 transverse sections, of other seal-disks, impressed, illustrating theemployment of the same in connection with the said improved shackle.Fig. 13 is a cross-section of the sealdisk shown in Figs. 11, 12, afterpressing. Figs. 14, l5, 16 are elevations of other shackles,illustrating modifications.

My improved shackle for cording-seals, in a preferred form, isillustrated at S in Figs. 1 and 2. It consists of a novel description oftwisted cord or twine, having a safety-strand, a, which formsenlargements or hard places atintervals on the surface of the shackle,and also distinguishes the same by its peculiar appearance and by acontrasting color.

The latter effect is accomplished by making the safety-strand ofbright-colored cord-red,

for exampleand the other strands, b, (one or more) of the natural colorofthe hemp or other fiber. It is also proposed, however, to color otherstrands of the shackle, and in some cases to leave the strand auncolored, so as to produce different combinations, and also to make oneor more of the strands wholly or in part of any description ofsafety-fiber, the employment of which for other twine may be prohibitedby law, like the liber-mark of the paper used for the national currency.

The said strand a is manufactured with cnlargements or hard places, asaforesaid, by knitting or enchaining the saine. This gives italternately three thicknesses, as shown at,

the left in Fig. 2, and five thicknesses, as shown at the right in saidgure, and the latter points constitute thc said enlargements or hardplaces, between which the substance or edges of the seal will securelyhold. I propose employing for this strand twisted small cord or twine ora strand of loose ber ofthe proper size, as may be preferred, the sameto be knitted or enchained continuously by hand, or preferably byautomatic machinery, and then united with the other strand or strands bytwisting in the ordinary manner.

The shackle-rope will be wound on spools or into balls, or at once cutinto proper lengths for shackles, with or without preliminary waxing toprevent untwist-ing.

In Figs. land 2 the shackle S, above described, is shown in a pressedsoft-metal sealdisk, D, containing; locking-pieces L, of hard metal, asdescribed in my Patent No. 154,639, dated September 1, 1874, thelocking-pieces, three in number, being of cast-iron, with serratededges, and arranged alternately, as sh own in Fig. 3, transverse to thethreadin g-ap ertures. It will be seen that when the seal is pressed thesaid locking-pieces will indent the soft shackle ends on opposite sides,and hold the same with great security.

Instead oi' three locking-pieces, as shown in Fig. 3, a singlelocking-piece, Ll, may be eniployed in each seal-disk D,'as illustratedin Fig. 4; or a single pair, L2, may be employed in each seal-disk D2,as illustrated in Fig. 5; or each seal-disk D3 may be provided with twosuch pairs of locking-pieces, L3, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

1 also propose using ordinary lead sealdisks D4, without locking-pieces,as illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8, or a clamping-seal-disk, D5, of sheetmetal, as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, or ordinary sealing-wax W, inconnection with a sheet-metal cup, D6, or its equivalent, as illustratedin Figs. 11, 12, and 13. The cup of the latter, it will be observed, hasbeen constructed with an inturned rim, c, which is covered by the wax,and yields with the latter when the seal is pressed. Said seal-disks, in

themselves considered, constitute no part of the present invention.

As different seal-disks may be `applied to the improved shackle, so thelatter may itself be modified in construction without departing from thefundamental feature above specifiedto wit, enlargements or hard places,formed in the process of manufacture to prevent the withdrawal of `theshackle ends from the pressed seal-disk.

I propose, for example, to make a shackle, S2, of a single strand,knitted or enchained like the safety-strand a, above described, asillustrated by Fig. 14. 1 also propose to make a shackle, S3, byknittingor enchainin g a smaller strand, precisely like said strand a.,for example, and then reknitting or enchaining the same, as illustratedby Fig. 15. l also propose to braid together three or more such knittedstrands of one or different colors, as illustrated by Fig. 16.

I disclaim wire shackles having anchoring enlargements orl projections,and also knotted shackles, whether of wire, cord, or twine, as formingno part of my present invention.

The following is what I claim as new and ot' my own inyention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, namely: f

1. As anew article of manufacture, a shackle for cording-seals composedwholly orin part of knitted cold or twine, having a series ot' 'hardplaces or enlargements formed by interlocked loops, as herein specified,for the purposes set forth.

2. A shackle for cording-seals composed of two or more strands ot'contrasting fibers, one of said strands being of knitted cord or twine,having a series of hard places or enlargements formed by interlockedloops, as herein shown and described, for the purposes speciiied.

E. J. BROOKS.

Vitnesses Jas. L. EWIN, IsrDoR GRAYHEAD.

